LCSO to increase patrols in November for pedestrian, bicycle safety

November 7, 2017

The Lee County Sheriff's Office has received a contract for a High Visibility Enforcement program for pedestrian and bicycle safety.

The safety campaign, which will begin the third week of November, is in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of South Florida's Center for Urban Transportation Research.

Deputies will observe, educate and enforce traffic laws in seven chosen areas in an attempt to reduce the number of pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle crashes. Deputies will also be working to educate citizens about the importance of traffic laws.

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The goal of the safety campaign is geared to increase in awareness of pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle safety through education and enforcement. The contract will allow officers to be present at six key corridors in Lee County where pedestrian and bicycle crashes are most prevalent.

The locations in Lee County that were chosen were selected based on crash data involving both pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles. The locations were also chosen for their volume of pedestrian traffic and number of crashes involving both vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists:

- Pine Island Road between Old U.S. 41 and U.S. 41 (Old U.S. 41 between Powell Drive and Mariana Avenue)

"The safety of our community is our number one priority. We want every driver, pedestrian and bicyclist to know and understand the rules of the road," Lt. Dennis Petracca, LCSO's Traffic Unit supervisor, said. "Safety doesn't happen by accident."

All contacts with citizens will be documented and the results will be sent to the Florida Department of Transportation for evaluation at the conclusion of the safety campaign.